How Kucinich Moves Up Into the Top Tier and Wins!

[rjones2818]

This was posted as a diary at DailyKos earlier this evening. Here's a link to the original post:
www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/29/20743/9750

It will also be posted at my blog: www.rjones2818.blogspot.com.

Begin diary:

Since Dennis won the debate last night< ;) >, I thought it might be interesting to map out how he can move up into the top tier of the candidates and even win the nomination.

The summer and fall are setting up as well as they possibly can for his canidacy. There are four issues that are the basis for my thoughts on this:

1) Universal Single Payer Not for Profit Health Care for all Americans as embodied in HR 676 www.kucinich.us/issues/universalhealth.php, the Conyers/Kucinich bill for Universal Health Care.

Have you heard of Sicko yet? Have you seen Sicko yet? I think most of us will try to attend a screening of Michael Moore's new film, and my guess is that most of us will come out wanting Universal Health Care (as is befitting a progressive blog). Guess who's 100% on board with that?www.kucinich.us/node/4683

end diary

Moore endorses HR 676:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYnadAE685o

Dennis is in the best position to benefit from the groundswell of support for this bill since he helped to write it.

2) Our Environment/Global Warming.

Pssst, have you heard about 07/07/07? Yep, it's that day long concert to raise awareness about the environment and global warming. While most of the candidates are good on this issue, Dennis had true environmental bona fides. www.kucinich.us/issues/environment.php. If a certain Mr. Gore doesn't run, Dennis will be at the head of the environmental line!

Dennis on climate change:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls7beTVd8ow

3) Impeachment!

Pssst, are you ready to support the impeachment of Dick and W? Support H Res 333 www.kucinich.house.gov/SpotlightIssues/documents.htm, the impeachment bill brought forth by, guess who, Dennis Kucinich (Go Co sponsors!). We know who's the leader on the impeachment issue. It sure isn't any of the other candidates!

Dennis on impeachment:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBS4SWC-BY8

4) And most important, the Iraq fiasco!

Pssst, wanna end the occupation of Iraq and bring our troops home? There is one candidate who led his fellow House Democrats in the lead up to the war. There is one candidate who as a member of Congress has voted against the war and every supplemental. That candidate is Dennis Kucinich, who has offered HR 1234 www.thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1234:, a 12 point plan www.kucinich.us/iraqplan to end the war and bring stability to Iraq. Dennis doesn't have to apologize, and he wasn't fooled!

Was Your Candidate Fooled?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fOt6UGROi8

Now, I know that the odds are stacked against him, even here at DKos. The point is that during this summer and fall the fates seem to be aligning in Dennis' favor. And don't think he's not ready on other This is why I think he can move up into the upper tier and even win the nomination as well www.kucinich.us/issues.

I'm a proud supporter of Dennis Kucinich for President, and as always:

Go Dennis!
www.kucinich.us

end diary.

[mitchtv]

1. I like him, but Gravel's pledge to end the war on drugs,

earned my vote

[rubberducky]

2. Wouldn`t Kucinich/Gravel be a hoot!!!!

It will never happen, but it would be interesting. If Gore doesn`t get in the race Kucinich gets my vote.

[Bjorn Against]

9. Kucinich has spoke out against the war on drugs as well

He may not focus on the issue as much as Gravel does, but he does bring it up from time to time and he certainly doesn't think people should be getting criminal records slapped on them because of drug use.

[tech3149]

14. That and his stance on the war might be fine

but unless you make over $400,000 a year, you might not appreciate his libertarian policies by the end of his term. Gravel might have some good viewpoints, but he's not what we need.

[mitchtv]

22. I need to be able to buy, and smoke a joint without fear

that's what I need

[loudsue]

31. Actually, Dennis has said he would instantly allow medical marijuana...just like

Richardson said. I believe if he worked at it, he could loosen the marijuana laws for everyone. He REALLY hates the "war on drugs" money that we waste every year, and he's very worried about all of our non-violent drug offenders in jail.

LEGALIZE MARY J00WANNA!!

:kick:

[antigop]

3. Watch the noise machine crank up and push the "Dennis is unelectable" meme n/t

[Fire Walk With Me]

18. That's always the best indication that they're scared. Choose candidates via the RNM!

I'm happy that Dennis is beginning to gain some clout. If Gore were his VP, and was free to do business without the direct attacks that the President would sustain, I'd vote for them in a hot minute.

Great news that Letterman is using his advertising power to keep Dennis in people's minds.

[antigop]

4. And you forgot one -- his position on trade policies n/t

[rucky]

5. Repeal NAFTA.

He was the only one who made it plain.

[antigop]

6. Yep. n/t

[rjones2818]

7. I think I decided to include that

in the other reasons he's ready (toward the end of the post there's a link to his positions page).

I agree, that's a great reason to support him!

Go Dennis!
www.kucinich.us

[eallen]

8. You left out marrying a beautiful, young, tall redhead...

Oh, wait. He did that?

Sorry, but not even that will get him the nomination.

But good on him, anyway.

:hippie:

[slipslidingaway]

10. Thanks and #5 ??? He is against pre-emptive war. n/t

[dweller]

11. he appears on Dave Letterman, in the upcoming hour

11:30 ESTdaylightetc. or right now in Letterman land.

dp

[Jim Lane]

13. I think he's coming across fairly well

He started off making light of his 3% standing in the polls -- "So, given the margin of statistical error, we can say that there are some people who are sure that I exist." (not a verbatim transcript, just my reconstruction)

Some of his responses sound a little canned, but I can understand that. He knew he'd have only a couple minutes in this high-exposure situation, so he didn't want to ramble or fail to make key points. He had to prepare to get his points across, instead of engaging in a casual, natural conversation with Letterman.

[pop goes the weasel]

17. I thought he did great

His answers were well-spoken, intelligent, and refreshing. The audience seemed to like him. His more rehearsed answers seem to have been in response to the rehearsed questions. But then, when Letterman asked him about his wife, he was both seemingly at ease and speaking off the cuff. I thought it was interesting that Letterman had to really be pointed in asking him about his childhood poverty before he would talk about it. Usually, politicians can hardly wait to frame themselves as being a regular guy, and here he was, an actual regular guy who could do the modern log cabin candidacy, and he doesn't push it.

[bvar22]

12. He also has the only CLEAR position on Election Integrity!

Paper Ballots publicly hand counted at the precinct!

92% of ALL Americans support TRANSPARENT, VERIFIABLE elections!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x446445

[Imagevision]

15. Dennis Kucinich is he not electable or what? WTF?

He’s too short. He’s not sexy enough. He’s not electable. Yeah, that last one. Not electable. How many times have I heard folks say that they really like Congressman Dennis Kucinich and the stands he takes in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, but they don’t think he can be elected? And what would happen if everyone who said that actually got behind Kucinich?

Who decides the electability of a candidate anyway? Party leaders? TV pundits? Campaign contributors? Here is a man from modest beginnings who has been winning political races against well-heeled Republican opponents for decades.

In Kucinich, I see a man of vision, honesty, integrity and heart. Aside from cash what incredible talking points does Obama, Hillary,(when I'm elected president I'll end the war) or Edwards have that make Dennis seem so lackluster?

Example; the top three parrot each other with their impeachment is off the table bit when they have as much research on this matter as the expertise they displayed by not even reading the goto war plans.

None of the top 3 will even consider impeaching Cheney? they have plenty of time, something is wrong with this picture!

[tech3149]

16. we're smart enough to recocnize that, but most people aren't

You have to remember that most of the people don't pay any serious attention to politics beyond the level of a sporting contest. Their primary source of information is the boob tube and maybe a local fish wrapper. I don't hold much faith in their instant enlightenment.

My idealistic choice is also Kucinich, but I have to deal with reality. Politics today is not much more that a cross between a horse race and a personality contest. It's not entirely our fault alone. The media picked the "front runners" before anyone even joined the race. If you pay attention to the candidate's history and goals, most thinking people would go for Kucinich or Edwards. Until we have IRV and proportional representation, pragmatism still plays a role in my choice.

[Strawman]

19. We donate. That's how.

With all the support he seems to have on this site you'd think he'd have more than $740 raised through our ActBlue page.

I've been on the fence regarding my primary candidate, and I had a negative bank balance last week. If I can scrape together a donation, so can all of you!

http://www.actblue.com/page/du-presidential

$49K left for Dennis to hit his very modest goal for $150K in online contributions this quarter and one day left to get it done.

[Toasterlad]

28. Done

It wasn't much, but it's all I could afford...and I've NEVER contributed to ANYONE's campaign before.

[OneBlueSky]

20. saw a pickup truck today with a "Kucinich for President" bumper sticker . . .

rather startling since I live in an overwhelmingly Republican conservative town . . .

[upi402]

21. He would actually STOP the racketeering going on.

Kucinich for President!

[Hippo_Tron]

23. It is going to take years before Kucinich's positions resonate

Single-payer health care advocates have to find a way to overcome the stigma of socialism and waiting lines attached to their proposal.

If you want to cut defense spending, you have to convince Americans that a lot of the Pentagon budget is waste and not money that is needed to protect ourselves.

Ending the war on drugs wont happen until we convince Americans that prohibition isn't working, is extremely expensive, and that their kids can still get drugs even though they are illegal.

I don't support Kucinich's bid because I know that change is built from the ground up. The left needs to get organized on the bottom and start changing peoples' minds so that maybe a candidate like Kucinich will be viable 10 to 15 years from now.

[diane in sf]

24. I've sent money to Dennis and John Edwards and I'll continue.

I would like Al Gore with one of these guys most of all.

[Radical Activist]

25. He needs to do at least a couple other things he didn't do last time.

1) Pick up the phone and raise money from major donors on a regular basis. He shouldn't ask hard working people to donate money if he isn't willing to do the kind of hard fundraising work any successful Presidential candidate must do.

2) Hire a campaign manager with a clue about how to run campaigns.

3) Stop making unfair attacks against other candidate that make them sound more conservative than they are. Its not an effective strategy. His distortion of Obama's position on Iran comes to mind.

He can be right on all issues all day long and he'll still never be a top tier candidate if he doesn't do those things. Don't get your hopes up.

[Kurovski]

26. K&R. (nt)

[demnan]

27. At the ACLU rally in DC on Tuesday he was greeted like a God

I'm not kidding you. The crowd of 4,000 went electric! People were so grateful to him for putting impeachment on the table.

[lovuian]

29. As a Utuber I have watched Dennis's views go from 100's

to 1000's to now tens of thousands...next step is hundred's of thousands

he is getting momentum

[Nutmegger]

30. If it was based on 100% the issues, DK would win hands down.

But Americans, sadly, don't vote the issues.

Nevertheless, DK has my vote. His vision of America is something that I yearn for.